Jorge Gutierrez is back for his second season with the Canton Charge sans the long, flowing hair but displaying the same bulldog mentality on the floor.

“It was just time,” the 24-year-old point guard said about his hair, which is now closely cropped on the sides and back. “I had it long for, I want to say, eight years.”

A native of Mexico, Gutierrez impressed last season as a rookie, averaging 10.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists for a Charge team that won the East Division title. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Gutierrez earned first-team honors on the D-League’s all-defensive and all-rookie teams.

Unlike Samson, Gutierrez’s ability did not come from his hair, so the Charge should have nothing to worry about this season. But the new look caused quite a stir with his teammates.

“They were amazed,” he said with a laugh. “They thought I’d never cut it. I guess I’m full of surprises.”

Gutierrez will be counted on to take more of a leadership role not just by example but vocally, too, when the Charge open the regular season on Nov. 22 in Erie. Gutierrez is bolstered by a busy and productive offseason.

In September, he helped the Mexican national team shock the basketball world and win its first FIBA Americas continental championship. Mexico earned its first trip to the FIBA Basketball World Cup since 1974.

“It’s great for basketball in Mexico after all the corruption that’s been going on for years,” Gutierrez said. “It was great to do something positive.”

Gutierrez then went to training camp with the Brooklyn Nets and played well. He feels he gained a lot of knowledge playing alongside Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and some of the Nets’ other former All-Stars.

“Being around those kind of guys was a great experience to see how they are and what they do to maintain themselves for the highest level,” said Gutierrez, who also played on the Sacramento Kings summer league team in July.

Gutierrez is soft spoken but a ferocious competitor, the kind of player who earned the Pac-12 Player of the Year award as a senior at Cal despite averaging only 13.0 points a game. In fact, he became the first player to win both the Player of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year in the same season in the Pac-10/Pac-12’s history.

New Charge head coach Steve Hetzel seems to like what he sees from Gutierrez.

Page 2 of 2 - The defensive-minded Hetzel and Gutierrez should get along well.

“He’s a very positive guy,” Gutierrez said about Hetzel. “He gives us a lot of support and confidence. ... He’s all about defense first. It kind of translates from last year. Last year was the same focus.”